diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2bec3e3..d8b54cb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ E-beam doses, and the ability to output to multiple formats.
 Requirements:
 * python 3 (written and tested with 3.5)
 * numpy
-* matplotlib (optional, used for visualization functions)
+* matplotlib (optional, used for visualization functions and text)
 * python-gdsii (optional, used for gdsii i/o)
 * svgwrite (optional, used for svg output)
+* freetype (optional, used for text)
 
 
 Install with pip, via git:
diff --git a/masque/shapes/__init__.py b/masque/shapes/__init__.py
index d00ee96..4c64204 100644
--- a/masque/shapes/__init__.py
+++ b/masque/shapes/__init__.py
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ from .polygon import Polygon
 from .circle import Circle
 from .ellipse import Ellipse
 from .arc import Arc
-
+from .text import Text
diff --git a/masque/shapes/text.py b/masque/shapes/text.py
index de2eae1..e645920 100644
--- a/masque/shapes/text.py
+++ b/masque/shapes/text.py
@@ -1,57 +1,201 @@
+from typing import List, Tuple
+import numpy
+from numpy import pi, inf
 
-#
-# class Text(Shape):
-#     _string = ''
-#     _height = 1.0
-#     _rotation = 0.0
-#     font_path = ''
-#
-#     # vertices property
-#     @property
-#     def string(self):
-#         return self._string
-#
-#     @string.setter
-#     def string(self, val):
-#         self._string = val
-#
-#     # Rotation property
-#     @property
-#     def rotation(self):
-#         return self._rotation
-#
-#     @rotation.setter
-#     def rotation(self, val):
-#         if not is_scalar(val):
-#             raise PatternError('Rotation must be a scalar')
-#         self._rotation = val % (2 * pi)
-#
-#     # Height property
-#     @property
-#     def height(self):
-#         return self._height
-#
-#     @height.setter
-#     def height(self, val):
-#         if not is_scalar(val):
-#             raise PatternError('Height must be a scalar')
-#         self._height = val
-#
-#     def __init__(self, text, height, font_path, rotation=0.0, offset=(0.0, 0.0), layer=0, dose=1.0):
-#         self.offset = offset
-#         self.layer = layer
-#         self.dose = dose
-#         self.text = text
-#         self.height = height
-#         self.rotation = rotation
-#         self.font_path = font_path
-#
-#     def to_polygon(self, _poly_num_points=None, _poly_max_arclen=None):
-#
-#         return copy.deepcopy(self)
-#
-#     def rotate(self, theta):
-#         self.rotation += theta
-#
-#     def scale_by(self, c):
-#         self.height *= c
+from . import Shape, Polygon, normalized_shape_tuple
+from .. import PatternError
+from ..utils import is_scalar, vector2, get_bit
+
+# Loaded on use:
+# from freetype import Face
+# from matplotlib.path import Path
+
+
+__author__ = 'Jan Petykiewicz'
+
+
+class Text(Shape):
+    _string = ''
+    _height = 1.0
+    _rotation = 0.0
+    font_path = ''
+
+    # vertices property
+    @property
+    def string(self) -> str:
+        return self._string
+
+    @string.setter
+    def string(self, val: str):
+        self._string = val
+
+    # Rotation property
+    @property
+    def rotation(self) -> float:
+        return self._rotation
+
+    @rotation.setter
+    def rotation(self, val: float):
+        if not is_scalar(val):
+            raise PatternError('Rotation must be a scalar')
+        self._rotation = val % (2 * pi)
+
+    # Height property
+    @property
+    def height(self) -> float:
+        return self._height
+
+    @height.setter
+    def height(self, val: float):
+        if not is_scalar(val):
+            raise PatternError('Height must be a scalar')
+        self._height = val
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 string: str,
+                 height: float,
+                 font_path: str,
+                 rotation: float=0.0,
+                 offset: vector2=(0.0, 0.0),
+                 layer: int=0,
+                 dose: float=1.0):
+        self.offset = offset
+        self.layer = layer
+        self.dose = dose
+        self.string = string
+        self.height = height
+        self.rotation = rotation
+        self.font_path = font_path
+
+    def to_polygons(self,
+                    _poly_num_points: int=None,
+                    _poly_max_arclen: float=None
+                    ) -> List[Polygon]:
+        all_polygons = []
+        total_advance = 0
+        for char in self.string:
+            raw_polys, advance = get_char_as_polygons(self.font_path, char)
+
+            # Move these polygons to the right of the previous letter
+            for xys in raw_polys:
+                poly = Polygon(xys, dose=self.dose, layer=self.layer)
+                poly.scale_by(self.height)
+                poly.offset = self.offset + [total_advance, 0]
+                # poly.scale_by(self.height)
+                poly.rotate_around(self.offset, self.rotation)
+                all_polygons += [poly]
+
+            # Update the list of all polygons and how far to advance
+            total_advance += advance * self.height
+
+        return all_polygons
+
+    def rotate(self, theta: float):
+        self.rotation += theta
+
+    def scale_by(self, c: float):
+        self.height *= c
+
+    def normalized_form(self, norm_value: float) -> normalized_shape_tuple:
+        return (type(self), self.string, self.font_path, self.layer), \
+               (self.offset, self.height / norm_value, self.rotation, self.dose), \
+               lambda: Text(string=self.string,
+                            height=self.height * norm_value,
+                            font_path=self.font_path,
+                            layer=self.layer)
+
+    def get_bounds(self) -> numpy.ndarray:
+        # rotation makes this a huge pain when using slot.advance and glyph.bbox(), so
+        #  just convert to polygons instead
+        bounds = [[+inf, +inf], [-inf, -inf]]
+        polys = self.to_polygons()
+        for poly in polys:
+            poly_bounds = poly.get_bounds()
+            bounds[0, :] = numpy.minimum(bounds[0, :], poly_bounds[0, :])
+            bounds[1, :] = numpy.maximum(bounds[1, :], poly_bounds[1, :])
+
+        return bounds
+
+
+def get_char_as_polygons(font_path: str,
+                         char: str,
+                         resolution: float=48*64,
+                         ) -> Tuple[List[List[List[float]]], float]:
+    from freetype import Face
+    from matplotlib.path import Path
+
+    """
+    Get a list of polygons representing a single character.
+
+    The output is normalized so that the font size is 1 unit.
+
+    :param font_path: File path specifying a font loadable by freetype
+    :param char: Character to convert to polygons
+    :param resolution: Internal resolution setting (used for freetype
+            Face.set_font_size(resolution)). Modify at your own peril!
+    :return: List of polygons [[[x0, y0], [x1, y1], ...], ...] and 'advance' distance (distance
+            from the start of this glyph to the start of the next one)
+    """
+    if len(char) != 1:
+        raise Exception('get_char_as_polygons called with non-char')
+
+    face = Face(font_path)
+    face.set_char_size(resolution)
+    face.load_char(char)
+    slot = face.glyph
+    outline = slot.outline
+
+    start = 0
+    all_verts, all_codes = [], []
+    for end in outline.contours:
+        points = outline.points[start:end + 1]
+        points.append(points[0])
+
+        tags = outline.tags[start:end + 1]
+        tags.append(tags[0])
+
+        segments = []
+        for j, point in enumerate(points):
+            # If we already have a segment, add this point to it
+            if j > 0:
+                segments[-1].append(point)
+
+            # If not bezier control point, start next segment
+            if get_bit(tags[j], 0) and j < (len(points) - 1):
+                segments.append([point])
+
+        verts = [points[0]]
+        codes = [Path.MOVETO]
+        for segment in segments:
+            if len(segment) == 2:
+                verts.extend(segment[1:])
+                codes.extend([Path.LINETO])
+            elif len(segment) == 3:
+                verts.extend(segment[1:])
+                codes.extend([Path.CURVE3, Path.CURVE3])
+            else:
+                verts.append(segment[1])
+                codes.append(Path.CURVE3)
+                for i in range(1, len(segment) - 2):
+                    a, b = segment[i], segment[i + 1]
+                    c = ((a[0] + b[0]) / 2.0, (a[1] + b[1]) / 2.0)
+                    verts.extend([c, b])
+                    codes.extend([Path.CURVE3, Path.CURVE3])
+                verts.append(segment[-1])
+                codes.append(Path.CURVE3)
+        all_verts.extend(verts)
+        all_codes.extend(codes)
+        start = end + 1
+
+    all_verts = numpy.array(all_verts) / resolution
+
+    advance = slot.advance.x / resolution
+
+    if len(all_verts) == 0:
+        polygons = []
+    else:
+        path = Path(all_verts, all_codes)
+        path.should_simplify = False
+        polygons = path.to_polygons()
+
+    return polygons, advance
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9a064ed..251edf7 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ setup(name='masque',
           'visualization': ['matplotlib'],
           'gdsii': ['python-gdsii'],
           'svg': ['svgwrite'],
+          'text': ['freetype-py', 'matplotlib']
       },
       )